With the first MLBPA-approved Panini America baseball set just days away in 2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition, we’ll soon be getting our first looks at how Panini will be handling the challenge of logo use on its cards for players who had been draft picks or minor leaguers this past season.

But with Playoff Contenders, coming in January, we’ll get to see how they handle the big-leaguers.

The company released several images to preview its Award Winners set in Contenders on Saturday, and it shows two things — players in MLB uniforms and a nod to baseball’s amateur awards. Both might come as a bit of a surprise to some as the unis might not have been expected — using photos from studio sessions, no less — and those “other” non-MLB awards just don’t often get this kind of attention in a big-league level set.

The winners range from recent guys to guys who were at the top of the game in past years.

What other surprises might be in store? We’ll find out in January. Until then, feast on these morsels …

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.